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Pháp Thoại Người Lớn
Young people often distance themselves from spiritual traditions when they do not see the beauty of faith reflected in the lives of their parents or when institutions remain too conservative. To keep the younger generation within the Buddhist tradition, it is essential to demonstrate that the teachings are a treasure of tolerance and openness that can be practiced to bring happiness to daily life. The Five Mindfulness Trainings serve as a concrete expression of the Three Jewels and a shield for family harmony. Practicing the third training on sexual responsibility and the fifth on mindful consumption prevents the brokenness that causes children to lose faith, while the fourth training of deep listening and loving speech transforms suffering into understanding.
When facing psychological or family difficulties, one should use the Six Paramitas to cross from the shore of suffering to the shore of peace. This transition is achieved through the method of replacing a negative mental peg with a positive one, similar to a carpenter driving out an old peg with a new one. The first of these is Dana Paramita, the practice of giving. Beyond material objects, the most precious gifts one can offer to loved ones are:
- Presence: Being truly there in the present moment.
- Freshness: Restoring one’s flower-like nature through breathing, walking, and smiling, as promised in the poem: “Em không khóc nữa, không than nữa. Đây một bài thơ hận cuối cùng. Không than chắc hẳn hồn tươi lại. Không khóc tha hồ đôi mắt trong.”
- Stability: Being reliable and solid like a mountain or the sea.
- Freedom: Remaining unbound by the six afflictions of tham (craving), sân (anger), si (misunderstanding), mạn (arrogance), nghi (suspicion), and kiến (views).
True happiness is found by recognizing the many conditions for well-being already present, such as having functional eyes to see the blue sky or a healthy heart that beats without effort. By letting go of the pursuit of distant desires, one finds immediate peace. During walking meditation, this can be practiced by calling the name of a loved one, such as Mother, Teacher, or Buddha, while breathing in, and responding with I am here for you while breathing out. This practice nurtures the seeds of love and presence within the heart.